Something to Believe In
by TheDecieverOfLumosity
Summary: After the death of General Du Couteau, Talon looses his purpose for being alive. When he wakes up one day in a dimension very different from his own, will he manage to find something new to believe in.
1. Chapter 1: I Begin at the End

That was it, it was all over. There was no mistaking his face, the rough features and the coarse skin. The hair that in youth would have been as fiery as his daughter's, now softened by the strands of intermingling grey. Even his clothing, which at one point had been immaculate, was no obviously worn. The years had not bee kind.

He slumped against the dirty stone wall and looked up into the eyes of a figure who now kneeled before him. Even though the man's hood concealed most of his face in shadows, as close as they were, it was easy to distinguish his features.

"Son."

The word was uttered from the lops of the once red-haired man. He reached up to take the hand of the hooded one, who came closer to where he sat.

The hooded man looked down at the growing blood stain on his father's shirt and knew from experience that wounds such as those were a death sentence. And in that moment of realization, Talon knew he had failed his mission.

All of the years Talon had spent looking for his father, all of the slim leads he had chased to the ends of Valoran and back, all nothing now. He had come so far, and yet while he began to think more and more that his father was already deceased, the more his heart hoped he was still out there.

Talon had been raised to never show emotion, but now, with the gravity of his situation weighing down upon him, he felt his eyes grow misty.

"Father." The words caught in his throat, and he fought the tears that threatened to come. He knew that General Du Couteau would not want him to cry for him. "I'm sorry."

The General looked into his adopted son's eyes, and a faint smile appeared on the dying man's lips. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He paused as he took a raspy breath. "I'm proud of who I know you've become." Again his breath rattled in his chest, Talon knew he didn't have much time left. "Tell Kat and Cass that I love them, and that-" His last words were cut off by wheezing, which led to coughing. The General coughed into his hand, and Talon saw the blood on his lips and fist. Talon took his other hand and kept his grip until he felt his father's go slack.

Talon let go of the General's hand and finally let the tears he had been holding back come. He cried out in anguish, for there was no honor in the death that had claimed his father, no one left for him to take his revenge, for their corpses littered the chamber where he now sat.

After nearly ten minutes of sobbing, he finally stood and dried his eyes. At least he deserves a proper burial. Talon thought, and picked up the man's corpse. He carried his father's body all the way home.


	2. Chapter 2: No Calm Before This Storm

The funeral was two days after Talon returned with the General's body. It was a small affair, hastily planned by the newly grieving daughters. The memorial service was held in a chapel in the wealthier area of Noxus, and the General had been laid to rest in a military graveyard adjoining the chapel and a few blocks from High Command.

The memorial service was short. Swain, as Grand General, and a former colleague of Marcus Du Couteau's, stood in front of the General's dark wood casket and gave a brief speech on the bravery that the man had shown in life, and how he would always be remembered and missed. Though many a tear was shed in the small, warm main room of the chapel where the memorial service was held, the eyes of the three Du Couteau siblings remained dry, for they knew that their father would not have wanted them to cry for him. However, neither Katarina, Cassiopeia, nor Talon spoke at the service, for they all knew that they would not have been able to maintain their composure if they tried to do so.

The service was fairly small because only a few people of meaning or importance came. After all, the Du Couteaus knew very few people who would have considered them friends. Their generally deadly nature was more prone to making enemies than allies, which they were all usually fine with, but today the lack of friendly faced seemed to, in a way, magnify their loss.

* * *

Once the memorial service was through, the small assembly left the site and walked outside to the cemetery and the grave where Marcus Du Couteau would be laid to rest. Once there, the religious official who had led the whole ordeal said a few more words, all essentially saying that while those still living would miss him, he would be in a much better place now.

 _Its all bullshit,_ Talon thought, _bullshit to give those who believe in something so that they can take anything about this positively._ _But I know the truth, the streets made sure to make that blatantly clear._ The man said more words about eternal glory in heaven. _There is no God. We are alone here._

Eventually the man finished his speech, queuing two grave diggers to carefully lower the casket into the hole they had dug. Each of the Du Couteau siblings dropped flowers into the grave to land on the casket below. After that, several of the other members of their small congregation followed suit. Even Swain dropped a single black rose into the hole and onto the glossy wood box. Once the flowers were placed and the final goodbyes were said, the crowd began to disperse. Talon lingered the longest at the General's grave after he had been laid in the ground, and as the grave diggers began to cover the General's casket, a small part of him thought about jumping in and letting them bury him as well.

* * *

The Du Couteau siblings were all stunned by the loss of the General, but their methods of coping with the loss of their father were so different that it would have been impossible to tell who the loss hit the hardest.

Cass locked herself away in her room, refusing to face anyone, even her siblings. They were left only to imagine what she did in there on her own, but the muffled crying that escaped her room gave them a pretty good idea.

Katarina went through phases of grief and denial, sometimes trying to pretend that she had never learned the news, other times she was a wailing mess. In between those two extremes, she was prone to fits of uncontrolled rage, which were often set off for no reason in particular, but one could have speculated that she was really only angry at herself for not being there to help him.

Talon grieved openly for only a day, before actively trying to busy himself with anything to occupy his mind. He worked on paperwork in the manor's office or trained with blades for hours on end, rarely eating and sleeping. One day, he threw knives at training dummies until his fingers bled, even then continuing until Katarina had forced the blades out of his hands. She had yelled at him, almost trying to start a fight, when she broke down crying into his arms. He had consoled her then to the best of his ability, which was honestly quite limited, all while attempting to maintain his own composure. He figured at least one of them should try to stay strong.


	3. Chapter 3: The Storm and the Shade

Things in the Du Couteau household were, considering the circumstances, fine for nearly a week after the General's death, until finally things came to a head at dinner one night.

Cassiopeia had chosen to, for whatever reason, reveal herself and come down to have dinner with her siblings. The three sat in silence around the unnecessarily large dining room table until the servants finally came to serve them their dinner. The trays were uncovered in front of each of them almost simultaneously recognized what had been their father's favorite food. Cassiopeia immediately started crying, and Talon sent her a brief look of what could almost be annoyance before addressing the offending dish. This look was not lost by Katarina, who immediately became infuriated.

"What was that for?" She asked harshly. Talon looked up from his plate to meet her spiteful gaze.

"It's been a week, Kat" he said "don't you think that it's time we moved on."

His statement only served to further infuriate her. "It's only been a week, how can you expect her, expect any of us, to be over it in a week? Our father just died, and maybe it's different for you, but to me it hurts a lot more than something that can be gotten over in a week." She paused, and Talon knew that he was in for an earful. "How can you be so nonchalant? Do you even care?"

"Do I care?" he said"Do I care? Of course I care! I spent the last few years of my life searching for the man who took me in as one of his own while you did nothing but accept his absence? How dare you get angry with me for supposedly not caring when I was the only one who even tried to find him."

His words broke Katarina's rage, and for a moment the only sound was Cassiopeia's quiet sobs. "Talon," Katarina finally said, "I'm sorry I-"

He cut her off. "No, you aren't, and I am tired of being your emotional punching bag." He stood up from the table and walked out of the dining room. Katarina called after him, but when he didn't acknowledge her, she knew better than to follow him.

Talon stalked to his room and sat down on the edge of his bed and put his head in his hands. He would never have admitted it, but her words cut him deeper than he let on. _Katarina may not see it_ , he thought, _but I am still grieving._ He knew that she would eventually come to his room to try to appologize, just like always, but he knew that they meant nothing, because despite her promises of being kinder in the future Talon knew that he could never truly escape her wrath. He didn't want to be disturbed at any point by thoughtless apologies from Katarina, so he decided to enter the Shade.

The Shade was the source of Talon's few magical abilities. It was a plane of existence not quite in line with his own, a dimension where time and space were not quite so rigid, which explained how he could become invisible and teleport at will. He entered there now, and he knew that even if someone entered his room at that moment, they would not see him, for his body was in the Shade. Talon knew that the Shade had the potential to be a very powerful tool, but all of the research he had found on it warned against prolonged exposure to it, for the results of such actions were undocumented and had the potential to be dangerous or even deadly. For this reason, he was usually fairly cautious with his ability to pass into the Shade, but today he allowed himself to linger in the semi-darkness, truly not caring about the consequences, only longing for the solitude that it provided. At this point, he was still conscious of his surroundings, but the world had taken on darkness that no light could penetrate, and a dry fog hung in the air with blurred anything more than 20 feet from him.

In the solitude of the Shade, he let the feelings he had kept bottled inside himself free, not even concerned when he began to feel tendils of shadow reaching for him, the fog and the darkness closing in. After several minutes of not resisting the Shade, he started to feel the pull of drowsiness, and without fighting back, he let this unnatural sleep overtake him.

* * *

A few minutes after Talon stormed off, Katarina decided to attempt to apologize to him. She made her way up to his room, taking her time and using it to determine what exactly she wanted to say to him. Then, before she had truly prepared herself, she found herself outside his door. She was just about to knock when she heard a loud thump come from within. Concerned, she knocked on his door and called his name, but her calls went unanswered so she decided to enter.

She opened the door to reveal a scene that made her gasp. Talon had collapsed unconscious onto the ground, but this was not what shocked her. He was as transparent as a ghost. His form was little more than an apparition, and she wondered what had happened to him.

"Talon" she called, and Katarina went to his's side and tried to wake him by nudging his shoulder. She was pleasantly surprised to find that her hand did not go right through his body, but her touch failed to awaken him. Alarmed, she started to try and shake him awake and she called his name to no avail. For now, at least, she feared that Talon might be gone.


	4. Chapter 4: Paris Gateways

Talon awoke in a place that he immediately knew was not Noxus. He stood in the middle of a busy street, in front of a large cathedral, all around him people rioted in the streets. They shouted obscenities and held burning wooden dummies on long poles above the crowd. If Talon hadn't known any better, he'd think there was a revolution going on. Talon decided to take to the rooftops, that perhaps he could recognize something in this strange place from above. He made his way through the throng and into a less occupied alleyway, then from there took to the roofs.

Climbing up the wall of the building on the left of the alleyway, Talon made his way to the roof using the window sills as handholds and footholds. As soon as he reached the top, he surveyed his surroundings, thinking _I don't think I'm in Noxus anymore._ His then were to finding a better vantage point than the three-story building he stood on. He immediately decided that the cathedral he had first spotted provide a vantage point. _The top of the north tower will be my target,_ Talon thought, _that height should provide an excellent viewpoint of this city._ And with that, he began to make his way, running along the rooftops and jumping over the alleyways. He challenged himself to keep his feet from the road, instead maintaining is altitude.

If he had not still been in shock at suddenly finding himself in an unfamiliar place, he would have found climbing and freerunning through the city quite enjoyable.

Eventually he made his way up to the top of the north tower, the wind about him whipping loose strands of hair from his ponytail and cooling his face. When he reached the top, he stood and leaned against the stone railing and took in the view. The city he was in was quite large, divided by a river that split around an island, which he currently resided on. He had to admit, this place, wherever it was, was much more beautiful than Noxus.

After a minute of just looking at the view he thought, _I bet that Katarina and Cassiopeia are worried about me, I should probably try to go home._ So just as he had done before, he entered the Shade. The vision he returned with stunned him, instead of a dark grey that covered the world like at home, he found that the world appeared to be almost blue. Just as he had done before, he waited in the Shade, letting the shadows claim him. Eventually, the magical drowsiness swept through him, and just as before, he let himself slip into unconsciousness. But when he awoke again from the darkness, he found himself still in the same city, at the base of the tower he had just climbed.

Panic set in, and again Talon tried to slip back through the Shade, to no avail. This time though, instead of drowsiness, he was greeted by the vision of a woman. She had long, dark hair and wore a flowing, white gown. Her hair was captured by a metallic headpiece and a white veil ran down her back.

"Who are you?" Talon asked. "What am I doing here?"

The mysterious woman smiled, "You chose to come here," she said, "and you alone will chose when you leave. As for me, I am but a ghost," she gave a weak laugh, "a _shadow,_ as it were. You brought yourself here when you decided that you needed to escape, so here you are. Learn what you must be taught, then you will be able to return to your realm. It is here that you will find your place."

"What do you mean?" Talon exclaimed, but the vision of the woman was already fading.

* * *

Katarina led the robed scholar through the halls of the Du Couteau manor, hesitating at Talon's door, not bothering to knock before she entered. Her brother's ghost still lay where she had left him to rest on his bed. The scholar seemed to be taken aback by the sight though it did not shock her anymore. He strode foreward to the side of the bed before hesitantly putting a hand on Talon's arm. Just as before, he did not stir.

"Is there anything you can do?" Katarina asked tenatively.

The robed man closed his eyes, focusing his energy to magically determine Talon's condition. After a moment, he opened his eyes again and responded, "I'm afraid not. Your brother entered the Shade of his own free will, and it must be his own will that brings him back to you."

"And when will he come back?"

"No one can say," He said with a sigh, "the Shade is a mysterious place. The best advice I can offer is to take care of his body, whatever may be left in this world of it. It is his link to this world after all, and when the time comes he will need it to find his way back home."

Katarina looked upon Talon's ghostly form sadly, wishing that wherever he was that he was safe, and that he would find his way back to her soon. She turned away, leading the scholar out of the manor, missing a brief look of pain that flashed across her brother's diaphanous features.


	5. Chapter 5: Murder Spree

When Talon awoke again in the spot in the same city, he had to admit he was a little shocked. _What did she mean 'I will find my place'_ he thought, _I have a place, and it is in Noxus._ He decided to start walking, that perhaps an answer would come to him. Talon made his way out of the plaza and into the streets in the area. People all around him rushed to their various destinations, some rioting against the few guards who stood about attempting to keep the peace. Talon laughed internally at the stupid hats that all of the guards seemed to be wearing. That was when he came upon a different scene.

He saw two men dressed in identical red and black clothing harassing another, much smaller, man. Talon watched as they drew their swords, and before he had time to think on actions, he slew the two in red where they stood. Immediately nearby civilians backed away in fear, this murder in broad daylight attracting all sorts of unwanted attention. He also noted with more annoyance than dismay, that he had also gotten the attention of the guards who had previously been busy dealing with the rioters. They came running towards him, and Talon knew that was his queue to make his escape.

He ran through the streets, not really knowing where he was going, and eventually took to the rooftops. As he ran, Talon began to reflect on the words of the woman who had spoken to him in the Shade. _Maybe this is what she meant. Killing has always been my purpose, maybe she meant that I should kill here as well._

* * *

He evaded the guards quite easily, but when he finally slowed to take in his surroundings, he realized that he was in a very different part of the city. As he walked about trying to get his bearings, he had time to reflect on his actions. Talon had never killed for reasons other than necessity or business, so this most recent stabbing of his was completely out of character. He had no regrets about killing those men, he had never harbored regrets about anyone he had killed, but their deaths by his blade spread a different feeling through him, something he didn't think he had ever previously experienced. _Pride._ He thought. _It gave me pride to kill those men. Not because it was a particularly clean or glorious kill, but because I was actually helping someone by killing. That man they were harassing was a total stranger, yet for some reason I saved his life._ He did not know for sure that just because the red-clad men had gone for their swords meant that they were planning on killing him, but he had a good idea that it was unlikely they planned to use their weapons solely for intimidation.

As he continued down the street, he couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips. _Maybe this is what that woman meant by me finding my place,_ he thought, _and if so then this will be a mmuch easier task than I had first_ _thought_.He now strode with confidence even though he didn't know where he planned to go, wandering through the streets of the city he would later learn to be Paris. Little did he know that a mysterious hooded figure tracked his every movement from the rooftops.

As night fell Talon found a place to spend the evening; a secluded sewer entrance that looked out onto the river. Most of the people that he knew would have been sick at the mere thought of sleeping in the sewers, but his years of living on the streets had hardened him against the elements and his environment to the point that his current situation hardly bothered him. His only discomfort was the dull ache in his stomach from hunger, making him regret storming out before finishing his dinner.

* * *

"And what it's it that brings you before us this evening?"

The acolyte hesitated, unsure how to tell the council his situation. "The Templars you sent me to take care of today," he started, "they were dead when I found them. They were murdered by a stranger, one who at first glance appeared to be one of us, but he was clearly not. He fought with a blade that was attached to his arm and he wore a cloak of blades. He killed them in plain sight and without hesitation, so he it's no stranger to assassination. I followed him from the a scene of the crime to where he has made camp for the night not far from here, he clearly doesn't know I was there."

For a moment the Council was silent, then one of the robbed figures spoke, "You have done well Acolyte," he said, "now go and find Arno, and tell him that we have a job for him."


	6. Chapter 6: On the Case

Arno was eating dinner in the Cafe Thearte when an Acolyte came through the front doors. The other patrons paid the newest hooded man no mind, but the way he immediately seemed to search for Arno among the crowd of dinner guests warded his attention. The darkly dressed man strode over to Arno's favorite table in the corner before Arno gestured for him to sit down. The stranger took the seat gladly.

"The Council has a mission for you," He said, skipping the pleasantries, "it is important that you see them immediately."

Arno took a sip of his coffee before responding. "Isn't every mission from the Council supposedly important?" he deadpanned, "I'll see them in the morning."

He had expected that his words would be enough of a dismissal for the Novice Assassin, but clearly they were not for he still remained seated at the table, "I'm afraid you don't understand moisseur," he said, "this really is an important matter." He paused, considering his next words carefully, "I am not really at liberty to reveal the details of the job, but there is someone who has apparently been impersonating us. He has been killing Templars throughout the city under the guise as one of us, however no one recognizes him nor the missions that he seems to send himself on. The Council wants you to find and apprehend this imposter before he draws to much attention to himself, and by extension, us." Again he paused, "That is all I know, the Council will be able to provide more information."

The Acolyte stood and excused himself, proceeding to leave the cafe. Arno sighed, and decided that he would see the council as soon as he finished his supper.

* * *

Less than an hour after his meeting with the Acolyte, Arno strode down the familiar hallways of the Assassin's sanctuary. He had just visited with the Council, who had informed him of his mission. Just like the Acolyte had said, he was to track down the impostor Assassin and bring him before the Council where they would decide his fate. They had also given him some information that the novice had left out. The Acolyte had apparently tracked the impostor to a sewer exit not far from the Sanctuary where he had supposedly set up camp for the night after he killed the man's two marks for him in front of him. Even though he wore a hood like all of the other Assassins, he stood out because of his other attire and choice of weaponry, both with marked him as a foreigner. Arno knew that even if the man tried to run from him, that these would set him apart from the crowds of the city, making the job of finding him again much easier.

As Arno reached the waterside entrance to the sanctuary, he decided that he would immediately pursue the stranger, even though it was likely that he would not change locations in the night. He strolled along the bank of the Seine, strangely at ease despite the supposed fighting promise of his target. _I can't help it,_ he thought, _I clearly have the upper hand. I know where he is and a bit about what I should expect of him, yet he probably doesn't even realize that he is being pursued. I should be done and back home before midnight._

When he arrived at the entrance where the impostor Assassin was last seen, there were no obvious signs that anyone was there. Arno cautiously stepped into the tunnel and immediately looked for signs of his target's passing. His eyes quickly fell upon fresh boot tracks in the indeterminable muck that coated the ground. They led further into the dark tunnel, and Arno didn't hesitate to follow them.

Even after all of the times that he had gone through the sewers beneath Paris, Arno never could really get over the smell of the different wastes that were prevalent throughout. Normally, he would have tried to avoid looking at the dark, odiferous muck that clung to his boots, but tonight it provided him the perfect way to track his prey. _Who knew that something so repulsive could simultaneously be so helpful._ He thought.

Arno was brought roughly out of his thoughts, however, when he found that the tracks in front of him came to an abrupt end. In the middle of the tunnel, where there were no other places for the impostor to go, the tracks ended. He looked all about him, wondering briefly if the stranger had simply disappeared before he looked up, revealing a vertical pipe almost directly above his head. Using a conveniently located pipe sticking out from the edge of the opening, Arno pulled himself up and into the tunnel.

The climb was brief, and led into a small corridor, which a few feet later opened into a small chamber. In all of his excursions through the underbelly of Paris, Arno could admit that he had never seen this room. The chamber was lit by a single, dim torch that rested in a sconce on the left wall, barely out of sight of the entrance. Although the smell rose from the sewers below, there was nearly none of the muck that had seemed to line the floor of the sewers. Instead there was only clumps of the substance leading into the room, as if they fell off of another's boots. Arno could not see anyone in the room ahead, but he knew that he still needed to use caution. As quietly as he could, Arno made his way into the main chamber, which at a glance was just as small and empty as it had first appeared.

Then, he heard the dull thud of boots on the damp stone and Arno turned around to find himself standing less than ten feet from another hooded man. He was just as the Acolyte had described him, clothed in indigo which was covered by a cloak that ended in a series of wicked blades. Even the man's hood, which hid the top half of his face in shadows, was armored at it's front. What was most unusual about the stranger though, was not his attire, but his weapon, which was a jagged blade strapped to his arm.

"Well," he said, "I should have known that my little murder spree would have caught someone's attention."

The shock of having his target, rather literally, drop in on him finally wore off, and Arno drew his sword, readying himself for the clash of blades that he anticipated would come. "Why have you been impersonating members of the Assassin Brotherhood?" Arno questioned.

"I know nothing of your brotherhood." the stranger replied, emphasizing his last word almost as if it were a curse. Then, when he seemed to finally notice that Arno had drawn his sword, he looked down at the blade as scornfully as one could from beneath a hood and said, "I could kill you where you stand. But frankly, I don't feel like killing tonight." Then he disappeared into thin air, or into the shadows, his voice seeming to emanate from where he had stood, but no longer appeared, "Next time we meet, however, I shall not be so merciful."


	7. Chapter 7: Talon's Gambit

Arno was still reeling over the event that had just occurred. "What sorcery is this?" was all he could manage. He had come across some strange things before. Hell, his sword had once shot lightening, and even though that power seemed to be gone, it still glowed. This though, was something new. From somewhere below him in the tunnel, he could have sworn he heard laughter trailing away from him. That pulled him out of his stupor, and immediately he ran out of the room where he had confronted the impostor and into the sewer tunnels. Now there were new footprints in the muck on the ground, this time leading the opposite direction as before. He followed them, and soon found that he was at the opening of the tunnel, facing the river. That was where the trail stopped. Even though the sand on the bank before him was saturated, somehow the man left no traceable footprints. _Damn._ Arno thought, _I suppose tracing this man will be harder than I had first thought._ By this time, it was nearly midnight, so in resignation Arno decided to make his way back to the Café Theatre and get as good of a night's sleep as he could, then pursue the impostor in the morning.

* * *

Not far away, Talon stood in the shadows observing as Arno finally emerged from the sewers. Talon couldn't help but chuckle, thinking of the look on the other man's face when he had disappeared right in front of him. Clearly this world, wherever it was, was not familiar with the ways of magic. _That will make evading him all the easier._ He thought.

Talon watched as the man walked up the stairs into the street, clearly having decided not to pursue him any further this evening. Looking about him, Talon decided on a whim to follow the man, more out of curiosity than anything else. He began to reflect on the man's words, _I am impersonating some Brotherhood? Who would have known. Perhaps I should look into this, I mean what else is there for me to do here._

The man in the blue coat led him through the streets, Talon's superior stalking skills ensuring that the man did not know he was even being followed. Eventually he arrived at a café, _The Café Theatre,_ Talon read on the sign above the door. It seemed to be a nice establishment, though it was obviously closed for the evening, the blue coated man strode in without hesitation. Talon listened from the street as a woman wearing a large, flamboyant hat noticed him and began to speak to him.

"My, Arno," she said, "you certainly are working late." _So his name is Arno,_ Talon thought, _interesting._

"Oui," Arno replied, "I was tracking someone who was impersonating the Brotherhood. I followed him into sewers and had him cornered when he disappeared right before my very eyes."

Clearly he had not gotten his head around Talon's disappearing act. This made him smile beneath the shadows of his hood.

"Perhaps," the woman started, then hesitated as if considering what she was about to say, "he has a Piece of Eden, like the Sword."

This piqued Talon's interest. Talon began to listen intently.

"That is the only reasonable suggestion." Arno said reluctantly. "There must be a rational explanation for all of this."

This drew Arno into thought, and the woman sighed and said "It is rather late, you should deal with all of this tomorrow." Arno nodded in agreement and began to head into one of the back rooms.

Talon followed the man from the outside as he walked up a grand staircase to where the living quarters were on the second floor of the establishment. Talon climbed up the side of the building, and found a semi-sheltered place on the rooftops to rest beneath the stars. The night was clear, and despite the light pollution from the city around him, the sky was beautiful and full of stars. Yet even though the scene was beautiful, as Talon lie on his back on the rooftop of the Café Theatre, he couldn't help but think, _these aren't my stars. This isn't my city. How far must I have gone for even the night sky to be foreign to me?_ Talon closed his eyes, trying to imagine that he was home, that he lay instead on the roof of the Du Couteau manor, and that the stars above his head formed constellations that were familiar. He thought of home, of his sisters, of his now departed adoptive father. Being in this strange place, he had almost forgotten about his recent loss, about the way that even though he had done all that he could, in the end it had not been enough. He regretted storming out on Katarina what seemed like a lifetime ago, wishing he had one more chance to make things right. He realized then that he didn't know when he would see them again, if ever, and that hurt worst of all. Then the waves of homesickness began to hit him like a kick to the gut, and he fought back tears behind closed eyes as he thought of Noxus and fell asleep.

* * *

In the morning, Arno rose early and took to the streets to search for the impostor Assassin. He returned to the sewer tunnel where he had last been seen, scouring the area for any sign of the man. Just like the previous night, the trail ended at the mouth of the tunnel, the river had long since washed away any footprints he may have left behind. From there, Arno wandered the city for the rest of the day, having just as much luck anywhere else he searched in the city. At one point in the middle of the morning, he received news of more stabbings by the stranger, and he investigated the site of each murder diligently. Finally, in resignation, Arno returned to the Café after quite some time, and was immediately Charlotte Gouze came up to him, holding a bulky, sealed envelope in her hand.

"Arno," she said, "someone came by earlier and left this for you." She handed him the envelope. His name was written on the back in an angled hand, and the envelope was sealed with red wax which bore a coat of arms that he didn't recognize.

Arno quickly broke the seal with his thumb and withdrew two objects from within. The first was a short letter written in the same sharp handwriting, and the second was his wallet, devoid of all of his money. Gaping, he read the note.

 _'For a supposed "Master Assassin", you certainly are easy to find and steal from. Make yourself reachable at sundown, we need to talk._

 _-The Blade's Shadow.'_

Arno was fuming, he knew that if he had managed to get his wallet, then at some point the man had been within inches of him and Arno hadn't even realized it. He muttered an expletive under his breath.

"Madame Gouze," he asked the woman who still stood before him, "who left this letter?"

She thought for a moment then replied, "I thought he was one of your Brothers. He wore a coat and hood similar to yours, and carried a strange blade on his belt. He refused to leave his name. Why, is there something wrong?"

Arno muttered another expletive then said, "That was the man I have been tracking. Now if you will excuse me." He stormed off to his bedroom, and immediately noticed that someone had been through his wardrobe. Several of his old coats lay strewn about haphazardly, making it painfully obvious that someone had been there. _He was here too._ Arno thought. _He went through my things and stole from me._ He was practically fuming now. _This is no longer about the Brotherhood. Now it's personal._

* * *

Meanwhile, not far away, Talon was still reeling over the ploy he had pulled off. Pickpocketing Arno had been surprisingly easy. He had been so preoccupied with finding him that he had been oblivious when Talon had stood right behind him and stolen from the pocket of his coat. Then when he had raided his wardrobe for clothing that would be less conspicuous, he had wondered if Arno had made his task intentionally too easy. Talon was quite fortunate that the man he pursued was nearly the exact same size as he was, which had been part of the motivation for stealing from his wardrobe in the first place. The most entertaining part, though, was when he had observed from a corner table in the crowded café as Arno had read his letter. Arno had been too blinded by his anger and disbelief to realize that Talon had been sitting in the corner watching and laughing at him. Now he stood from his place at a corner table and took to the streets again. He still had a few hours before sundown, and he planned on spending them preparing himself for the fight that he suspected was going to come.

Talon had decided to go through with the whole ruse as a method of grabbing Arno's attention, not simply to mock his inadequacies, for he really did have some things that he wished to discuss with the man. He only hoped that when they met in a few hours that Arno would listen to reason.


	8. Chapter 8: Sunsets and Shadows

As the sun set to meet the Paris skyline, Arno wandered along the rooftops. He had already scouted out the perfect place for their fight. Now all there was to do was to wait for the other man to arrive, or rather reveal himself, as Arno feared was the case. Since he had received his letter only a few hours age, he had been on edge, feeling like he was constantly being watched, even when he was alone.

Arno turned around, watching as the sun finally dropped below the buildings, the sky colored blood red. Just as the sun finally disappeared, he heard footsteps roughly ten feet behind him. He turned, and came face to face with the one who had signed as The Blade's Shadow.

"What do you want?" Arno said, his voice practically dripping with venom.

"I want to join your Brotherhood."

Arno was astounded at the audacity of the man before him, to ask favors when he had done nothing but cause him trouble. Clearly he must have appeared as angry as he was, for the man reached into the pocket of his coat, _my coat,_ Arno thought, and withdrew a small cloth bag, "Here's the money from your wallet, I only wanted to ensure that I caught your attention." He held out the small bag, and Arno quickly closed the gap between them enough that he could take it from his hand. He hadn't known exactly how much money he had had in his wallet, but the bag felt to be about the same weight that his wallet had been before he had emptied it.

Talon hoped that it didn't show, but secretly he was a little nervous about his meeting with Arno. Immediately he had sensed the hostility Arno had towards him, but he had hoped that he would still listen. He hoped that Arno wouldn't take his attention-grabbing joke to heart and try to fight him because that honestly wasn't what he wanted.

Talon had thought quite a bit about what the woman he had met in the Shade had meant when she said that he would find his purpose here. At first he had thought she had simply meant that he should kill for good, but when he had met Arno he had questioned his original hypothesis. Now, after learning that not only were there people here who killed, but killed for a purpose beyond monetary gain or political power, he knew where his place was.

"Why in the hell should we accept you after everything you've done?" Arno exclaimed, drawing his sword. "You have done nothing but cause us problems since your appearance, and now you will pay for it all."

It took Talon only a moment to ready himself, though he was a moment too late, for Arno managed to land his first attack, his sword grazing his exposed forearm. The wound was shallow, and Talon ignored the pain as he counterattacked, the ferocity of his attacks forcing Arno to go on the defensive.

This time it was Talon's turn to press the attack, and he nearly landed a blow to Arno's shoulder, but at the last moment Arno countered and deflected his blade and also landed a swift kick to Talon's chest. Talon staggered backwards a few steps, _so that's how you want to do this,_ he thought, _fine then. Two can play at that game._ He entered the shade, disappearing before Arno and appearing behind him, allowing him to land a quick hit to the man's side. If he had wanted to kill Arno, he would have easily been able to do it, but that wasn't what he wanted and Arno had to know that.

Arno whipped around, readied to strike again, when something that both men saw made them drop their weapons.

Katarina had requested the aid of the magician as soon as she had seen the wounds and the blood. Clearly wherever that Talon was, he was in battle and could likely use some help. The sorcerer had come as quickly as he could, the promise of a significant sum of gold for assisting her was a more than adequate motivation. Now the she and the robed man both stood in Talon's room, and he prepared to send her through the Shade.

"Now you will not be able to fully appear through the Shade," he said, "you will be as real there as he is here. You will be able to see him, and if need be, fight by his side, but I cannot keep the spell going indefinitely, I can only give you a few minutes. I will try and teleport you as close to him as I can, though." He paused, "Are you ready?"

Katarina nodded, preparing herself for whatever was to come. The man said a few words in an arcane language, and as her awareness of her surroundings faded, he could have sworn she heard the wizard whisper, "Good luck."

Talon froze, for a moment forgetting his fight with Arno. When the shock wore off, he ran towards the apparition of his sister standing a mere 15 feet from him. They embraced, the animosity of the previous night all but forgotten. They had really only been apart a single night, but all of the events since his departure had made it seem like so much longer.

For a second, Arno thought that the red-haired ghost had been of his dearly departed Elise. It wouldn't have been the first time that he thought he had seen her since her death at the hands of Germain. Immediately though, he dismissed the thought when she and the imposter Assassin embraced like long lost lovers.

"Are you ok?" she asked him, "I saw you were hurt, or what is left of you at home was hurt, and I decided to come through myself to see."

He laughed weakly, "I'm fine, Kat, but how did you get here?"

"I hired a wizard to send me through," she said, "but I don't have long, I just had to see if you were alright."

Arno finally regained his composure and approached the couple, "Who are you?" he asked, "And how did you get here? Someone please explain what just happened."

The other man glanced at the red-haired woman and sighed, "I suppose I should start at the beginning." He said, "My name is Talon, and this is my sister, Katarina."

And that was how he began his explanation. He told Arno everything, every detail, except for the reason that Talon had stormed off in the first place. At the time it seemed irrelevant to the explanation, so Arno didn't pry. He was still reeling over the prospect of there being other dimensions, and that magic existed there. After a minute to reflect on his new knowledge, Arno shared all that he knew with Talon. He told him what his mission had been, and that he would still need to bring Talon before the Council. Katarina had listened intently to what they had said, for she had known very little of what had happened to her brother since they last spoke nearly two days ago. It was clear that she was just happy to see that he was alive and well.

* * *

"Talon," Katarina started, they had been talking for the better part of an hour now discussing their plans for the near future, "I have to go now." Already his sister's form was fading. Talon went to take her hand, only to find that he passed right through her. She was visibly fading, within minutes she would be gone.

"I'll be home soon, I promise." He said, "Take care of Cass, will you? Be strong for her like father would have wanted."

When Katarina was no more than mist, her voice barely more than the wind, she whispered "Goodbye, little brother."

* * *

Author's Note:

Hi everyone! First, I would like to thank everyone who has read this fic so far and to this point, the response I have gotten seems to be pretty positive, and it makes my day every time that I log on and see that I have more viewers.

As a big thank you to my readers and a celebration for finally making Level 5 mastery with Talon (the first champion I have gotten Level 5 with), I present to you an 8Tracks mix for this story. Each chapter will have it's own song. I got the idea back when I was writing chapter 4 (the title even comes from a song on the ACU soundtrack) and now that there are 8 chapters, I can finally publish a mix for this fic. I will put a link to the mix below and I hope you enjoy:

/rinielynn/something-to-believe-in

If you guys have any suggestions for a song that would be better for a chapter or could be used for a future chapter, please PM me and let me know. I am open to suggestions and I would love to hear from y'all. If you like this story so far, please favorite, follow, or review.

Until next week,

TheDecieverOfLumosity


	9. Chapter 9: Trial By Combat

When Arno woke the next morning, he found Talon seated at a corner table in the Café Theatre listening to a man onstage speak about the revolution and how all should do their parts for the betterment of France. He silently took a seat across the table from the other man. Talon was wearing the coat that he had stolen from Arno, which Arno later told him that he could keep. It still seemed rather strange to him, _to think only yesterday I would have killed this man,_ he thought, _now here we both are having breakfast together._

Talon still watched the man onstage when he, almost absentmindedly, spoke "When I first arrived here, there were riots in the streets. I never really stopped to think about it but," he paused as the man onstage proceeded to describe how the common people should rise up and kill the remaining nobility, "a Revolution. I suppose it all makes sense."

Arno did not speak, and he did not have to, for Charlotte's appearance before them interrupted his train of thought. "Who is your friend, Arno?"

Arno cast a glance at Talon, who took it as a queue for him to introduce himself, "Talon Du Couteau, Madame," he said, standing and taking her hand.

She paused, glancing down at the coat she thought she recognized, "Have I met you before?" she asked.

Talon hesitated for a moment before answering, "Yes," he said, "I came by yesterday and asked you to deliver a letter to Arno."

She immediately knew what he meant, and knew that this was the man who Arno had been pursuing, she was about to question his presence, "We are going to see the Council this morning." Arno said quickly, "It's a long story."

"I'm sure," was all she said. She clearly expected more of an explanation, but Arno didn't feel that he was at liberty to tell her the whole story at the moment.

Now Arno stood, "It's probably time we head over to meet the Council, we have delayed long enough." Talon nodded and together they walked out of the café. Arno led Talon to the Sanctuary the long way, for even though he trusted Talon for reasons he couldn't really describe, he didn't want to give away all of the Assassin's secrets right away.

They walked down the steps leading to the bank of the Seine and led him to the riverside entrance. When they reached the entrance, Arno retrieved a small, red scarf from his pocket. "You must understand," he said, "I trust you more than is even in my comprehension, but I fear that the Council might not be so accepting of your story."

Talon sighed, allowing Arno to blindfold him, "I might understand," he said, "but that doesn't mean that I like this."

Arno was reminded of when he brought Elise before the council what seemed like so long ago, even now thinking of her was bittersweet. He relished any memories he had of her, but each time they were brought up in his mind, along came the memories he held of her death. For the moment though, he had no time to think of the past, for there was still the present that required his attention.

* * *

Arno began to lead Talon into the Assassin Sanctuary, into the room where he would address the council. Along his way, he stopped a novice and asked him to alert the Council of their arrival. The man ran ahead of them, Talon could hear his footsteps echoing on the polished floor ahead of them. Eventually they came to the end of their journey.

"I see you have succeeded in your mission, Arno." A voice above and ahead of them said. Talon could not see its speaker, but the voice was most definitely male. "Now, it is time we…"

"Before you cast your judgment," Arno interjected, "there is something you should know."

The council was silent and Arno interpreted their silence as a queue to proceed. He untied Talon's blindfold, much to the apparent displeasure of the white-robed Council on the balcony above them. "Go ahead, Talon," he said, "tell them everything."

Talon hesitated. He had never really been afraid of speaking to strangers, he was an introvert, yes, but he did not necessarily fear public speaking. This however, when what he said could mean the difference in life and death, made his palms sweat and his hands shake a little. Sure, he could easily have defeated any number of Assassins from this world, but he really didn't want to resort to killing these people, especially after it seemed that he had gained Arno's trust.

"Um," he started, "my name is Talon Du Couteau, and I'm from another dimension."

The entire Council seemed incredulous, clearly finding this introduction dubious at best.

"I can prove it." He said quickly. Talon glanced to Arno, even though he had no idea what Talon's plan was, nodded for him to continue. "Unlike this dimension, where I am from there is real magic." Drawing on the Shade, from which all of his power came, Talon threw a series of three blades in a volley towards the Council, stopping them mere inches from their faces before retracting them to his hand and back to the Shade.

The look on Arno's face reminded him that Talon had neglected to mention the full extent of his powers. This though, gave him an idea for his next trick.

Talon disappeared into the Shade, reappearing behind Arno and holding a blade to his neck. Arno drew in a sharp breath, for a moment fearing for his life before Talon lowered his arm and stepped back to Arno's side.

"The same power that I just demonstrated is considered minimal or even weak where I am from." He said, "But it is the same power that brought me to this place."

"What is your purpose here?" the man who had spoken before said, "Have you come to undermine our Order?"

"I never intended to end up here," he said, then continued more softly, "I came through on accident, and I don't know how to get back home. When I tried, I was confronted by an apparition," he gestured to Arno, "who Arno informed me is known to you as Juno. She told me that I couldn't leave until I found my place, which I have come to infer she meant is in your Brotherhood."

The Council members turned and whispered to one another. "You're asking us to induct you?" The man said in borderline disbelief.

After much hesitation, Talon nodded, "Yes, I am."

Again the Council whispered to one another, clearly discussing Talon's fate. Finally, after many whispers about the dual forces of mistrust and the potential that his abilities could have for their war against the Templars, they seemed to come to a consensus.

The same robed man as before spoke, "We have decided," he said, "we all agree that your particular" he paused, as if searching for the right word, "skillset, could prove to be invaluable in our war, and could finally give us an upper hand." He paused again, "However, we have also agreed that you are still a stranger, and despite the fact that we believe your story, we still cannot necessarily trust you. You have still caused havoc throughout the city and so before we induct you, we would like you to prove both your loyalty and your worth."

"What do you have in mind?" Talon asked. He should have known that the Council would ask for something like this of him. After all, he couldn't expect his background alone to ensure his acceptance.

"You will be accompanying Arno on a mission," the man said, "and if you two succeed, it will prove your dedication to the Brotherhood."

The Council then proceeded to explain to the two of them their mission. They were to enter in a grand tournament together, the prize of which was to meet their reclusive target face to face, which would make the job of assassinating him all the easier. The competition would be tough, but the council assured them that if they worked together, not only would it hopefully guarantee their victory, but it would also prove Talon's worthiness. They were then informed that the tournament was the next day, and that in the meantime they would need to acquire letters from important officials to essentially forge their way into the contest, which was primarily for military officers. The duo then set out together, with the whole day ahead of them, they intended on having their entry into the tournament validated by noon.

* * *

Author's Note:

In case you can't tell already, the mission that Arno and Talon are going on is actually the Co-Op mission The Tournament from Unity. When I played it the first time I went solo and had such a difficult time with it that I decided to have Arno and Talon complete it together.

I just have to say thank you to everyone who has read, liked, and reviewed my story so far. To be honest, I have never felt so dedicated to anything I have written, and a great part of that motivation comes from seeing the positive response I have gotten from you all. As a special treat, I thought I would let you in on some of my plans for the future.

The next chapter, Chapter 10, will be one of my longest and greatest yet. No spoilers, but I will say that everything will change. After that, if you guys have any ideas for this story, please PM me because I would love to hear them.

Second, I am already in the process of working on a re-write for this story. I plan on posting the updated version after I have finished writing this one. I'm not planning on changing any major plot points, just adding a little more fluff so that (hopefully!) every chapter will be at least 2000-3000 words. No guarantees, but already I have doubled the length of Chapter 1 and I hope to keep expanding it, and all the other chapters until they fully explain all that happens in them.

Finally, I have updated the 8Tracks mix with this chapter's song. A link to the 8Tracks mix is in my Author's Note in Chapter 8 if you are interested in listening. Just as before, if you have a suggestion for a song that you think could/should be used in this story, please comment with it or PM me because I am always open to suggestions, and frankly I love hearing from you all.

Thank you so much again to all of you lovely people for taking the time to view my story, and an extra big thank you to all of you who have favorited, followed, or reviewed. See you next Monday with another chapter.

P.S.

If you have a prayer list, put me on it. I hear from my first-choice college on the 30th and I could probably use any last minute help I can get.

Thanks Again,

TheDecieverOfLumosity


	10. Chapter 10: Rite of Passage

After stealing the letters, gaining entry into the competition was really no challenge. The following morning, Talon and Arno rose early and made their way to Les Invalides where the tournament was being held. Crowds gathered in the streets, all eager to witness the trials first hand. Immediately, a massive set up of tall wooden structures caught both Arno and Talon's eye. The whole monstrosity was covered in a series of red, white, and blue flags, and seemed to be a center of attention for many of the gathered citizens.

"You don't suppose that they intend to use that for one of our trials, do you?" Arno asked with almost a laugh, "That's almost unfair to the other competitors."

Talon smiled beneath his hood, and as they approached the structure they saw a man attempting to run across and climb it to gather the flags. He seemed to be doing well, but when there were only four flags remaining for the man to gather, a horn was blown and the man climbed down from the course dejected. He handed the flags he had gathered to an official standing on a podium, who promptly counted them and wrote something down in a book on the podium. When he was finished, he passed the flags to another man, who went about resetting the course for the next participant. Talon and Arno approached the man at the podium, who looked up from his list upon noticing them.

"Are you here to participate?" He asked.

"Yes," Arno replied, "we registered yesterday."

The man looked at the pair before him and said, "You are smart to compete together, not a single individual has been able to complete this challenge."

"Most soldiers only rely on their weapons, few truly rely on each other," Talon said softly. Arno glanced at him, mildly stunned at the poetic statement from the usually introverted assassin.

"I suppose so," the man at the podium said, "that would certainly explain the success of many of the teams that have competed."

The man went on to explain the rules of the challenge. They had two minutes to collect all thirty four flags that were hung around the course. Then they were put on a list and told to wait their turn for their chance to prove their mettle.

Two groups ran the course before they did, and both fell short, neither even as remotely close to finishing as the first man they had seen. Eventually, their wait was over and it was their turn to run. Neither one had doubts about whether or not they could complete the challenge; they were both experts at parkour and while they knew that they could each have likely done it on their own, they were both secretly grateful to have the other one there.

Together they stepped up to the start of the course, and the man at the podium counted down from five. At the end of the countdown the horn sounded, signaling the beginning to their run. Immediately Talon and Arno separated, Talon headed up the nearest tower to the left while Arno broke for a low obstacle to the right. They had strategized beforehand about how they planned to run the course, and they hoped that their prior planning would make their challenge all the easier.

Talon ran along two thick ropes that connected heavy vertical poles, collecting the flags from the tops of each with ease. When he came to the end of the line, he turned and climbed the center tower to take the flags that hung from each side. Meanwhile, Arno weaved his way over and under the short wooden walls, each holding flags both above and below. When he had collected all of the flags on the ground, Arno joined Talon higher on the course by climbing the tall wooden pole on the right side of the course. The time flew by quicker than they had prepared for, although it was still no challenge for either of the assassins. They finished together with fifteen seconds to spare.

Triumphantly, the duo turned in their flags to the man at the podium, who retrieved a note from a box underneath certifying that they had passed the challenge, and guaranteeing their entry into the next. They then began to walk to where the next challenge was being held just down the street.

"No surprise we smoked the competition in a climbing contest." Talon said.

"Yes," Arno said, "but Marcourt is looking for fighters. Let's give him what he wants."

* * *

They arrived at the next challenge, where they found a rectangular, open arena, with flags in each corner and in the center. They found that the challenge here was fairly straightforward; to raise the flags that were being defended by teams of foot soldiers. This, too, would prove to be an easy task for the experienced assassins.

When the horn signaled the start of the challenge, Arno and Talon stuck together as they ran toward the first corner flag. Together they fought off the soldiers guarding the first flag, and Talon defended them from any stragglers while Arno raised the flag. They prodeeded to complete the rest of the challenge in this fashion, and in the end they managed to win with only minimal injuries to themselves.

After the duel, Arno and Talon went to meet Alexandre Dumas, who not only worked closely with Marcourt, but was also an Assassin.

"Congratulations, citizens," he said to the pair when they approached, "you have fought bravely. Follow me, warriors, and you will receive your honors." Together they started down a covered walkway, "Seeing you fight reminds me of my days in the Free Legion. I was hoping you'd be a little more discreet, the fatalities you have cause have raised some suspicion. Marcourt has summoned his bodyguards, it won't be easy to get close to him. You're in for a fight, but you must do what you can to make sure Marcourt and his allies don't succeed. Good luck." With that, he left them in a small courtyard surrounded by buildings.

They knew from previous reconnaissance that Marcourt would be inside the building to their left, so they took to the rooftops, intent on reaching a window near the front of the building that would allow them access to the interior. They climbed onto the rooftops and Talon stealthily dispatched the sole guard that was stationed on the roof before they found the window and entered the main room of the building. For the most part, it was completely open inside, with a narrow ledge running all the way along the top of the wall. It was from here that they would make their assault.

Silently, Talon and Arno creeped along the ledge until they were just above the first of the four conspirators that they would need to eliminate in addition to Marcourt. Just when Talon was ready to leap from the ledge and strike the man down with his blade, Arno put a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. Arno shot him a look that seemed to say, "I've got this." Then he proceeded to ready the blade on his wrist. Talon raised an eyebrow, but otherwise had no objections to Arno's movements. Then, Arno readied his blade, and with the miniature crossbow that seemed to fold out from his bracer, he shot a blade that deftly killed the target when it sheathed itself in his head.

Talon had to admit that he was thoroughly impressed. Not necessarily by the actual execution, the same end goal would have been achieved just as easily with a gun, but the fact that the only sound was the target's body hitting the marble floor.

The man dropping dead in the middle of the room attracted the attention of the other people, causing them to come over to gawk at the dead man. This made it all the easier for Arno to finish off the other three. To cover their escape, he used a special blade which made one of the guards attack his allies. In the midst of the commotion, Talon and Arno made their escape out of the same window and back to the rooftops. Their grim task was done, and Paris would be all the safer because of it.

* * *

They stuck to the rooftops for as long as they could as they made their way back to see the council, mostly because they both truly enjoyed it. Eventually, they made their way to the sanctuary, and once they were inside its halls, Talon began to mentally prepare for whatever his induction would involve. Arno had not told him what to expect, so despite himself he was more than a little anxious to get it over with. Before he was truly mentally ready, they reached the Council chamber.

"Marcourt is dead," Arno said simply.

"You have done well," A man in the center said. "now, I suppose it is time to uphold our end of the bargain; you have proven your worth and loyalty to us, now we will allow you entrance into our Brotherhood."

Talon smiled beneath his hood.

"Are you prepared to walk the eagle's path?" the robed elder spoke.

Talon nodded, "I am."

"Then drink." He said, gesturing to the chalice in the altar below him. The goblet was silver and ornamented with jewels. The whole scene reminded Arno of his own initiation what seemed like so long ago, and had little sympathy for the trials that Talon would face.

After some hesitation, Talon took the chalice from the altar shaped like the symbol for the Brotherhood and drank. The liquid within had a sickeningly sweet flavor and odor, and almost immediately after drinking it, the room began to spin and go dark. It was almost as if he was being forced into the Shade against his will, and he had to admit that the whole ordeal was quite disorienting.

When his vision steadied, Talon realized he was still standing in the Council chamber, only there were some significant changes. The room was significantly darker, and the shadows had an almost blue hue. Second was that there was an earthen tunnel and a set of stairs leading down into the ground beneath where the altar had been. A force from within told Talon to descend, so he complied. At the bottom of the steps was a hallway, which led into an open, well lit room. It all appeared to be yet another room in the sanctuary, only half of the floor was missing, instead in its place was a gaping hole leading into darkness.

The force that had guided him whispered to jump into the abyss.

 _They have to be crazy._ Talon thought, looking off of the edge of the precipice before him, unable to see the bottom for it was shrouded in darkness. He knew a fall from that high would kill him, yet still that strange force that had beckoned him thus far urged him to take the plunge. He didn't know what would happen if he died in this strange place, but he didn't really want to find out. Talon turned away from the edge, ready to walk back the way he had come, only to find that the path he had come from was breaking apart.

Talon weighed his options and decided after a moment's hesitation to make the leap. He ran forward, diving off of the cliff before him, instincts he didn't know he had taking over as he neared the now visible ground. His target became a mound of what looked to be transparent hay. Again the forces that had guided him moved him as he extended his arms and flipped mid-air onto his back, awakened senses telling him that despite all of the doubts he had, he would somehow be fine. At the last moment, Talon closed his eyes, not wanting to witness what he feared would be his demise at the end of his fall. Instead of death, the fall knocked the breath out of his lungs, and with the shock of it all, he opened his eyes. He lay in that pile of hay, breathless but otherwise unharmed. He didn't quite know how, but somehow he had lived. Now he rose, climbing out of the hay and brushing lingering strands from his clothing. As he looked around, Talon noticed that a new path had formed, leading him off into a new direction.

The path along which Talon walked changed, becoming something more familiar. He realized that he was in a familiar stretch of the sewers of Noxus. He had called this area home for the first years of his life, before the General had found him. A dim fire lit the scene before him, revealing in its dim, flickering light two all-too familiar figures. The first was himself, although more than fifteen years ago. The second was someone who Talon had not seen alive since his childhood; Kavyn. Although Talon was still a distance away from the scene, he still saw the glint of the firelight reflecting off of a pair of shoddy daggers that Kavyn had pulled out of his bag.

Talon knew what would come next; the motion made out of anger over yet another failed heist. The motion that only minutes afterward Talon would regret. _Maybe this time,_ he thought, _it can be different._

He began to run towards the two boys, even though he knew it was all a hallucination, he hoped that he could change his and Kavyn's fate. As he got closer the ground began to crumble and break apart, and Talon was forced to leap and climb across the ever-changing and disintegrating landscape. The closer he came, the more he began to realize that he would not be able to make it, that he would not be able to save his friend. He reached the boys just as his younger self plunged one of the daggers into his best, and only, friend's chest. The blood covered the boy's hands, yet he did not flinch. _Such is the way of things,_ he remembered thinking at the time, yet now fifteen years later he grieved for a boy who was long since dead.

Talon moved to cradle the body of his childhood partner in crime, only to have the last of the scene disappear before his eyes. When he rose from his knees, a new scene surrounded him.

He was in a hallway in a dungeon, one long forgotten by nearly all in Noxus. Diaphanous figures ran past him, guards rushing towards a battle raging down the hall. This too Talon knew all too well, for it was the place where his father died. Talon ran after the guards, towards the sounds of the battle. Just as before, the floor began to break apart, forcing Talon to climb his way to the end, where he was just in time to watch as a meagre guard managed to slide his sword into his father's gut. The Talon from the past immediately slew the offending guard where he stood, but even his quick revenge would not stop the death that was to come. Talon looked away, knowing what would come next and not wanting to see it again, his eyes fell on the spectral forms of the Kindred.

"Why do you hesitate Lamb?" Wolf said.

"Just a few more moments, dear Wolf," she replied, "he deserves to spend his last minute alive with his son."

"What makes him so special?" Wolf asked, clearly anxious to end the General's life.

Lamb though for a moment before responding, "He is a good man," she said at last, "and there are few good men left in this world. He will not be remembered by the masses as a hero, but his passing will change the world. His death will spark a wildfire in those who are closest to him, burning away many of the foundations of their beliefs and forcing them to find something new. The change will grow in those closest to them, and in the end the world will be all the better." Lamb turned to Talon, the glowing eyes beneath her mask seeming to stare directly into his soul, "You have found your path, Talon. Know that your father would be proud of you and what you will do."

The scene just as before began to fade, the eyes of Lamb the last to disappear. This time when Talon walked forward, he found himself at the back of a crowd of hooded people. Talon made his way up an aisle to a place at the front of the room where people surrounded a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a fire, which illuminated the scene, and at the far side of the clearing stood a hooded figure. He dressed in black, which somehow stuck out to Talon, even though all of the other people in the crowd were shrouded in dark colors. _Kill him._ Said a voice in his head, which surprised him because the voice was not his own.

Almost against his own volition, Talon moved through the crowd, circumnavigating the clearing. He made his way until he stood directly behind the man. Without hesitation, Talon drew one of the many blades that he had on his person and slit the man's throat. The blood covered his blade, and the growing puddle on the ground reflected the firelight. Unlike every other assassination that Talon had made, he gently lowered this man to the ground and laid him on his back. He looked into the face of the one he had killed and realized in horror that it was himself. He moved to close the dead man's eyes, only to have the body disappear along with the crowd that surrounded him.

When the hallucination faded Talon was on his knees, apparently having fallen during the events of the past few minutes. The four members of the Council stood around him, no longer at the balcony above him.

"These are the words spoken by our ancestors." The first man spoke." The words that lay at the heart of our creed:"

"Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent." Said the second.

"Hide in plain sight." Said the third.

"Never compromise the Brotherhood." Said the fourth.

Then the first hooded man spoke again, "Let these tenets be branded upon your mind. Follow them, and be uplifted. Break them at your peril. Rise Assassin."

Talon stood on their command, and a hooded and masked man brought forth an item on a cushion. The item was a blade unlike any that Talon had ever encountered, double edged and attached to a mechanism on a bracer. Arno then stepped forward from the shadows and took the blade from the acolyte and gently strapped it on Talon's left arm. With the flick of his wrist, the blade extended past the bracer to slightly more than the length of his hand.

"Talon Du Couteau is dead. He has been culled from this world, with his sins and failures turned to dust. Tonight he is reborn, a novice of the Assassin Brotherhood."

* * *

Author's Note:

Talon is an Assassin now! Get ready for some more Assassin-y things coming up in the next chapter.

If you like this story, please favorite, follow, or review, it always makes my day to see that.

I mentioned last chapter that I was waiting to hear back from my first-choice college, and I heard back from them on Saturday. I am now proud to announce that not only was I accepted, but I have committed to it. So this fall, I will be going to NC State (go Wolfpack!)

I hope you all have a great week and I'll see you next Monday!


	11. Chapter 11: Novice and New Life

"So what now?" Talon asked.

After Talon's initiation, Arno and he had returned to the Café Theatre to have a celebratory cup of coffee. Before coming to Paris, Talon had never really cared for the beverage. He had always been more of a wine or tea drinker when he had the choice, but Arno had been a substantial influence in showing him that with a spoonful of sugar, even the dark sludge that Arno liked could be bearable.

Arno took a sip from his steaming cup before answering. "We wait." He said. "The Council will send someone when they have a job for us."

Talon took a small drink of his own coffee, briefly making a face at the strong acerbic taste. He proceeded to add another spoonful of sugar to the beverage from the small jar in the center of the table, hoping to sweeten the beverage. He took another drink, satisfied that it was now much more bearable. When Talon glanced up, he briefly caught what appeared to be a smirk on Arno's face.

"What?" he asked.

"Do they not have coffee where you're from?" Arno replied, an undertone of amusement in his voice.

"We do." Talon said, looking down at the offending beverage, "but it's nothing like this. I thought that the coffee in Noxus was strong but this stuff takes strong to a whole new level."

Arno laughed, "You aren't the first person to say that." He paused. "I suppose it's just an acquired taste."

As he went to take another drink, Talon muttered, "Maybe it's just one I haven't acquired yet."

Arno laughed again, but before he could retort a hooded man walked over to stand in front of them. He was yet another initiate, clad in their seemingly uniform black and white coat and matching mask.

He waited for Arno to look at him before he spoke, "The Council has a mission for you." He held out a letter. Arno took the letter with a muttered, "Merci", and the novice walked away.

The letter was addressed to both of them, so without hesitation Arno broke the red wax seal with his thumb and removed the parchment within. Talon watched as Arno read the letter, waiting for him to finish.

Talon had never been a proficient reader. Since his earliest years were spent on the street he lacked a formal education. He had only learned to read when he joined the Du Couteau household, and even though Marcus had hired him a private tutor to teach him, he was still not as proficient as Katarina or Cassiopeia.

"Well," Talon said finally, "what does it say?"

Arno's eyes did not leave the paper as he replied, "The Council has assigned me to be your partner and mentor in the Brotherhood." He paused, "Basically while they trust in your abilities, you are still technically a Novice and they still want me to oversee your first few missions and to help where I can. That and they like how well we seem to work together." Again he paused, "And they have a mission for us."

"What is it?" Talon asked, mildly impatient.

Arno raised an eyebrow as he finished the letter, "We are going to kill a priest." He said.

"What?" Talon stammered. He knew that the Assassins were a secular organization, but not that they were so openly against religion.

"Our target is Jacques Roux," Arno said. "He's a Catholic priest who just so happens to be one of the leaders of Les Enrages, a radical political group backed by the Templars. As bad as the Reign of Terror was, Roux would have taken things to a whole new level. We have already sent men to assassinate him, but they failed and we think they were captured. Our job is to find and free them and then finish their job."

* * *

Author's Note:

Sorry for the short update. I've been dealing with a whole bunch of school things so I've really been lacking the time and the inspiration to write. On the bright side, I have the rest of this story planned out and I'm about halfway finished writing the next chapter. As you can probably tell, the next chapter will be based on the Les Enrages multiplayer mission. There will probably be only one or two more missions before I begin wrapping this story up, so if y'all have a favorite please tell me so that I can write it in.

See y'all next Friday with Chapter 12.


	12. Chapter 12: Les Enrages

Arno and Talon stood on a rooftop overlooking the courtyard of Hopital de la Salpetriere. Even though it was midafternoon, the sky was grey and the ground was soft and moist from the rain that had come on and off throughout the day. The courtyard below them was terraced and gated, with many varieties of flora that had not yet begun to bloom. The whole area might have been picturesque if it weren't for the weather, the season, and the numerous guards wandering the grounds.

"There ought to be a roster of patients being held here in one of the offices," Arno said. "If the captured Assassins are being held here, their names would be on that list."

Talon nodded in agreement, "Then we should search the upper floors of the building first," He said. "It's unlikely that they'd have an office in the cellar."

They planned their route through the courtyard carefully before beginning their decent. Two lone guards stood at the edge of the courtyard, with their backs facing the building that Talon and Arno stood on, which Arno took to his advantage when he leaped from the roof to assassinate the unsuspecting men. Talon took a more inconspicuous route, choosing to instead make a Leap of Faith into a conveniently located cart of hay near the base of the wall.

From there they made their way forward, pausing on either side of an opening in one of the many walls to quietly eliminate two passing guards. While they had several close encounters, they managed to sneak through the courtyard and make their way into the building without raising the alarm.

Once inside, they made their way through the upper halls, searching each room for the list they were looking for. Finally, in a corner office near a set of descending stairs they found their prize. Talon kept watch invisibly while Arno scoured the list for the people they were looking for.

"They're here," Arno said at long last, "all three of them are here. It says they are being kept in cells on the lower level." He replaced the list in the desk drawer he had taken it out of and walked towards where he assumed Talon was standing.

Talon revealed himself to be leaning against the door frame, "Then let's go get them."

Together they snuck down the steps leading down into the cellar where the patients, or prisoners depending on the case, were kept. Arno led the way to where the roster had said they were kept and stopped outside the first cell door.

"We need to find the key to this cell," Arno whispered, gesturing to the door.

Talon scoffed, "No we don't." And he proceeded to withdraw a lock pick and tension wrench from one of the pockets on the inside of his coat. Wordlessly he went to work on the cell door, and within seconds, the simple lock opened with a barely audible click.

The door opened on well-oiled hinges to reveal a single man. He wore the ubiquitous black and white coat of a lower ranking member of the Brotherhood, except his hood was down, and his mask lay like a scarf around his neck. Upon seeing Arno and Talon, his dirty face lit up and he ran a hand through his blonde hair which was loosely tied back at the nape of his neck.

"Arno!" He exclaimed, "I've never been happier to see you in all of my life."

Arno smiled, "I'm glad you are alive and well, James," he said, "but now's no time for pleasantries, we need to find the others and get you out of here."

James nodded, "But what about Roux?"

This time it was Talon who spoke, "Arno and I will take care of him, just worry about getting yourself and the others out."

"Alright," James said, seemingly satisfied, "lead the way."

* * *

Finding the remaining two Assassins was easy. James had been the highest ranking member on their mission and their de facto leader, so it was easy for him to convince the others to join him as they made their escape.

"When I was in my cell," James said before they departed, "I heard some of the guards talking about how Roux would be making rounds through the cells before he leaves by carriage. If you two are really going to eliminate him, catching him before he leaves would be the best idea. He came through this area before you arrived, so he must be in the last section, which is through those doors over there." He gestured to a single reinforced door leading further into the cellar. "Good luck."

"And you as well." Arno replied.

With that the trio led by James made their way out of the cellar, sneaking up the steps that would lead them to their freedom. Arno silently hoped that they would be able to escape. Meanwhile, Talon had already gotten to work on the door leading into the next area of the basement. Having found the door to be locked, he again withdrew his lock picking set and within a minute he had the door open. The door led to a short hallway devoid of light or another exit other than the other door at the far end. This door also proved to be locked, so again Talon picked the lock. Before he could open it however Arno put a hand on his, silently telling him to wait. Arno leaned close to the door, listening for sounds of movement on the other side.

From the other side of the door, Arno could hear a guard speaking, "Monsieur Roux, these are the last sets of cells. Your carriage awaits you outside in the courtyard."

Talon slid his into the straps for his arm blade which hung from his belt, grasping the leather handle in preparation for their fight. Arno drew his sword then turned to Talon and nodded before pushing the door open. Roux and his guards turned at the sound and drew their weapons. While it hadn't necessarily been their intention, their whole entrance was rather dramatic.

The four guards accompanying Roux were not stunned by the Assassins' appearance for long, for within seconds they all drew their swords and rushed towards the hooded duo.

The first fell by Arno's phantom blade before he could take more than three steps. Talon vanished, only to reappear behind the approaching guards, taking the first from behind with his arm blade and the second with a quick strike to the neck with his hidden blade. By this time, Arno was dueling with the fourth, their blades flying in a furious dance of steel. Talon turned as he removed his blade from the second guard to see Roux attempting to make his escape. Talon entered the Shade again, dashing forward then leaping to strike with both of his weapons. Roux fell beneath Talon's weight and blades, bleeding out from the dual wounds in his back. Talon heard the thump of a body falling and turned to see Arno withdrawing his unusual glowing sword from the final guard's chest. Bloody blade in hand, Arno came to kneel by Roux's side.

As Talon stood, Arno closed the dying man's eyes and muttered, "Requiescat en pace," before sending his hidden blade through the man's heart, finishing him and ending his pain.

He stood slowly before turning to Talon, "Let's go."

They ran up the stairs ahead of them, finding themselves back in the courtyard of the asylum. Talon entered the Shade, rushing ahead to eliminate any enemies they would have encountered invisibly and ensuring that his and Arno's escape would go unnoticed by anyone they missed.

Talon reappeared just short of the final wall dividing the courtyard from the outside world, leading the way as he hooked his blade on his belt and scaled the wall with ease. Arno followed only a few feet behind him, soon joining him on the wall before making a short leap of faith into a hay cart on the other side. When they were both on the ground again, they walked away from the asylum, confident that their escape was guaranteed.

"We should return to the Council and tell them of our success." Arno said.

"Lead the way."


	13. Chapter 13: Knives and Memories

"You have to show me how you did that thing where you jumped from the roof and killed those two guards." Talon said.

"It's called an Air Assassination," Arno laughed, "and I'll be happy to show you. But only if you teach me how you can throw three knives at the same time."

"Deal."

The duo returned to the Café Theatre after completing their latest mission together, entering through the courtyard adjoining the café, making their way to the training room on the second floor.

"So how do you throw three knives simultaneously?" Arno asked when they finally entered the training room as he set up a straw-filled dummy at the far side of the room.

Talon retrieved three throwing knives from his belt. Arno returned to his side and watched as Talon proceeded to place the blades of the knives together between the side of his first finger and his thumb.

"It's basically the same as throwing one knife," he said, "except you have to put a little more pressure on the blades to keep the middle one from slipping out of your hand."

Talon threw the knives, which all landed in a line in the dummy's chest. He then held out his hand, and the knives magically returned to his hand, as if they were pulled on strings.

"Granted," he said, "I use a little magic to make sure they all land on target." He offered the three blades to Arno, "Do you wanna try?"

Arno took the three knives, "Sure."

He arranged the blades in his hand, just as Talon had shown him. The throwing knives seemed almost awkward in Arno's hand; they were jagged and longer than those he was used to, each with a slightly curved tip. Arno readied himself, and threw the knives at the dummy across the room.

The first knife clattered to the floor a mere six feet from where he stood, the second finding a place in the wall to the left of the dummy, and the third landed in what would have been the dummy's right thigh.

Arno sighed, and he could see out of the corner of his eye that Talon was barely containing his laughter. Without looking, Talon extended his hand and the knives returned to his readied fist.

"Like I said before," Talon said, "my accuracy is enhanced by magic."

"Who taught you how to do that?" Arno asked.

Talon looked down at the three knives in his hand, "My father," he said quietly.

It obviously pained Talon to speak about his family, in particular, his father. Arno thought about respecting Talon's privacy, but then he remembered how much people like James had helped him grieve by letting him talk about what hurt him. "What happened to him?" Arno asked finally, "Your father, that is. You are always upset when talking about your family, but whatever happened to him in particular clearly hurts you the most."

Talon threw the knives again, and again they landed in a perfect line across the dummy's chest. "My father died before I came here," he said softly, "I guess you could say that his death was the reason that I came here."

"Do you mind if I ask how it happened?" Arno asked with only a little hesitation.

The other man sighed, "He had been missing for years," Talon said, "some people, my sisters included, thought he had been killed and disposed of. He was a General and a noble in Noxus, and was one of the biggest opponents to some powerful and brutal leaders," he paused. "One day he didn't come home from a meeting in High Command, and I didn't see him again for five years. My sisters thought he had been killed. After all, it wasn't unheard of for Generals like him to be, shall we say, taken care of. But I didn't give up on him. I kept searching every day since he disappeared until, after all of the slim leads I had followed to the edge of the globe, I found him right beneath the streets of Noxus. Someone had decided to put him away, and stashed him in a long-forgotten dungeon. I fought my way past the guards, only to find him wasting away in a cell. We fought side by side as reinforcements came, and we were going to make our escape when," Talon's hand went to his face as he fought the painful memories, "one of the guards got a lucky shot. I killed the offender, but it was too late. He died in my arms on the floor of that horrible place."

Arno understood now, and knew exactly what Talon was going through. He knew how painful it was to lose someone so important, even after all that you had done to prevent it. He had lost not one, but two fathers in his life, and each time he was powerless to stop their killers. When he lost Elise, Arno felt like his whole world was wrecked, for the girl he had grown up with and the only woman he had ever loved was gone. For a time, he had found solace in the company of Jacques, Helene, and Mr. Weatherall but eventually Arno had to return to Paris to carry on with his life. Even now, her letters and journals that he kept in his bedroom were a reminder of all of the memories that they had shared, and those that they would never have the chance to make.

Arno hesitated, unsure whether to console Talon, or to attempt to change the subject. Luckily for him, Talon chose for him, "Can you teach me how to do an Air Assassination?"

"Sure." He replied, casting one fleeting glance at the dummy across the room before leading Talon to the large glass doors leading to a balcony overlooking an alley behind the Café Theatre. In the street below them were two dummies similar to those inside the training room. They stood side by side just below the balcony.

"What you want to do is basically fall on top of them," he said "you use your target's body to break your fall, and the force of the fall to drive your blade into their neck." Arno climbed onto the railing. "I'll show you."

With that, he left from the balcony, deftly landing on the right dummy's back. The force of his fall knocked the dummy onto its chest and simultaneously directed Arno's hidden blade into neck, just as he had described.

Arno stood and brushed the dirt and straw from his pants. "Now you try." Arno called up to Talon, who climbed up onto the balcony and readied his blade.

Mimicking Arno's movements Talon jumped from the balcony, his hidden blade ready. His heart went into his throat as he fell, still not used to the feeling of falling. He landed slightly off center on the dummy's back, with his left knee landing directly on what would have been the dummy's spine. While his blade managed to land in the base of the dummy's neck, Talon's landing was sloppy and he ended up having to try and roll out of the fall to avoid injury. His awkward angle led him to have less momentum than he needed, and he found himself flat on his back.

This time it was Arno who had barely contained laughter, and Talon's muttered expletive only added fuel to the fire. Arno offered Talon his hand and helped him to return to his feet.

"Maybe that's enough training for one day," Arno laughed and Talon, still a little breathless from his less-than-graceful fall, nodded in agreement.


End file.
